Casket sealing means



Nov. 27, 1962 E. w. DOWER 3,065,517

CASKET SEALING MEANS Filed July 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4. W m. J [aura/M022;

WW/Z far/er ffzalweyi.

Nov. 27, 1962. E. w. DOWER 3,065,517

CASKET SEALING MEANS Filed July 10, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 MWM/z 'ZZ /Z Par/Fer :fQxzer 4 I 3,065,5l7 Patented Nov. 27, 1962 3,665,517 CASKET SEALING MEANS Edward W. Dower, Dundee, Ill, assignor to Elgin Metal Casket C0,, Inc., Elgin, lli., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 10, 1959, Ser. No. 826,303 10 Claims. (Cl. 27--17) This invention relates to a casket sealing device and has particular application to means for hermetically sealing a burial casket. It has for one object to provide a sealing means or sealing gasket, and while it is not limited in its use to metal caskets it is particularly effective in connection with them and with the sealing possibilities of metal caskets since the material of which such caskets are for-med is of itself airtight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sealing gasket for use with caskets having lids formed in two parts mounted to move separately. Such caskets are at the present known as cut-top caskets.

Another object is to provide a sealing means for such cut-top caskets in which there is a sealing member for the horizontal sealing effect of the lid as a whole with respect to the casket and an additional sealing member to seal the separate head and foot sections of the casket top.

Another object is to provide a casket sealing means with substantial adjustability or means to conform to the casket and the top sections even if they are not in perfect alignment.

Other objects will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one form of a casket with the cover partially open;

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a corner of the casket on an enlarged scale and illustrating the gasket. A portion of the foot section is shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken at line 3-3 of FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the sealer shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows of that figure;

FIG. 6 is a transverse section taken on an enlarged scale at line 6-6 of FIG. 5 showing a transverse sealing member carried by the foot section;

FIG. 7 is a sectional detail taken at line 77 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a sectional detail similar to FIG. 3 showing the horizontal gasket in depressed position for sealing; and

FIG. 9 is a sectional detail similar to FIG. 6 showing the transverse gasket depressed for sealing.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

'As shown the device is applied to a casket which includes a casket body designated generally by the numeral 1. The casket body includes sides, bottom, handles and other portions typical of caskets, the details of which form no essential part of the invention. The casket is normally provided with a flange 2 about its upper edge and the flange carries the sealing means which will be described in more detail and carries also the cover sections. There is in the particular form shown a head section 3 and a foot section 4. The head section 3 carries a flange 5 which terminates at its lower edge in a generally horizontal flange 6. The foot section 4- carries a generally vertical flange 7 to which is secured a flange member 8 upon which the transverse sealing gasket is positioned. The cover sections may be supported upon the casket for movement by hinges 9 or otherwise.

Latch means are provided, although they may be of many different styles and the present invention is not limited to the details of any latch means. It is important, however, that latch means be provided which will hold the cover sections firmly down upon the body of the casket and will cooperate to produce a compressive effect upon the sealing gasket means. Such latches are indicated only diagrammatically in FIG. 1 in which a member 10 is mounted upon the head section. A comparable member, not shown, is mounted on the foot section and latch-engaging means are provided at at least two points on the body of the casket. Handles 10a, which appear in FIG. I, operate the latch-engaging means so that each of the members 10 is engaged by a latch controlled by the handle 10a. A hinged member 11 may be provided for each head section to limit the opening or outward movement of the section. Casket handles 12 may be provided along the sides and handles 13 at the ends.

In a completed casket a bed or other comparable device is normally provided for supporting the deceased and linings and other finishing and ornamental means are provided. These have all been omitted to simplify the showing and because the invention is not limited to them.

Positioned about the flange 2 of the casket body is a gasket. It rests upon the flange and may extend over and somewhat below its inner edge overlying the downwardly directed flange 14, in case such a flange is present, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7.

The gasket is an endless member and surrounds the entire casket. It conforms generally in shape to the plan of the casket and where the casket is rectangular, as is customary today in the United States, the gasket will be rectangular in plan. As shown the gasket comprises a generally fiat portion 15 which may have along its upper surface one or more raised lands 16. At its inner edge it may terminate in a raised bead 17 which may extend above and below the upper surface of the flange 2 or may merely extend below it. In the particular form shown it extends above and below it. The gasket is provided along its outer edge with a hollow tubular portion 18. The portion 18 has a domed or upwardly curved closing part 19 which carries one or more lands or raised portions 20. The tubular portion is thus formed essentially by a bottom which is a part of the horizontal portion 15 and by side members upwardly extending from the member 15 and by an integral top or cover portion 19. The entire structure thus far described is preferably integrally molded.

In FIG. 3 the sectional view of the sealing member shows grooves or slots 21 along the inner face of the tubular member and substantially at the point where the side walls meet the portion 19. The purpose of these grooves is to provide a point at which folding or collapsing occurs most readily when the gasket is under compression during the time that the lids are closed.

On each side of the gasket generally centrally and at a point to be contacted by the ends of the transverse edges of the cover members are pads 22. These pads, as shown in plan in FIG. 2, are more or less rectangular in plan and are perforated as at 23 to accommodate an adjustable stop member 24 positioned on the flange 2 of the casket. The stop member as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7 is a bolt received in a nut 25 welded or otherwise secured to the lower face of the flange 2. The stop member is adjustable. It may be screwed up and down and acts as a stop to limit and to control the closing movement of the covers.

Beneath the upper surface of the pad 22 is a plurality of longitudinal web portions 26 and transverse web portions 27. These stiffen to some degree the pad and give it some resistance to compression. The perforation 23 into which the stop 24 extends may be bounded by a tubular wall portion 28.

The tubular portion 28 extends through or in effect acts as a part of the pad 22 and is integral with it since the entire structure is preferably integrally molded. Although only a single pad is shown it is to be understood that two pads are provided, one on each side of the casket, and they are preferably identical in construction.

When the casket is closed the side flange portions 29 of the head and foot sections contact the sealing gasket along the sides of the casket and the transverse flange portions 30 contact the sealing gasket along the end portions of the casket. Although only the head section is shown open, the same construction of flanges on the casket cover sections is embodied in each cover section.

The transverse sealing means may be supported on either the head or the foot section but as shown it is supported on the foot section. To support the transverse sealing member a bracket or flange construction is attached to the foot section. As shown for example, this includes a bracket portion 8 generally horizontal and an integral vertical portion 31 and an integral transverse portion 32. The portion 32 is secured by welding or otherwise to the flange 7' of the foot section which is preferably integral with the portion 7 of the foot section.

The transverse sealing member or gasket comprises a tubular piece 33 which is curved or rounded on its upper surface, as shown in FIG. 6, and is provided with raised portions 34. At each end it is provided with a foot portion 35 which extends beyond the tubular portion of the member 33 and is in efiect a flat, solid foot. To some degree it is overlapped bp the end of the tubular portion, for example in the zone marked A of FIG. 7.

The head section of the cover is provided with a flange 6 as shown in FIG. 9. When the two cover sections'are both closed the flange 6 of the head section presses upon the sealing member 33 and compresses it against the flange 8 of the foot section. The same action also compresses the foot portion 35 of the transverse sealing member against each of the pads 22 and thus when the lid sections are closed the transverse gasket is compressed between the flanges 6 and 8 throughout its length and at its ends it is pressed by the action of the lids against the pads on the horizontal gasket and the entire structure is thus compressed to accomplish sealing when the lids are in place. The adjustable stop member 24 determines the maximum downward movement of the lids.

Although an operative form of the device has been shown, the invention is not limited to the particular details shown. Many changes may be made in the form, shape and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In the particular form of the invention here shown the gasket, comprising as it does an endless horizontal sealing member and a separate but cooperating transverse sealing member, accomplishes sealing of the cover sections with relation to each other and the total cover with relation to the casket. When the casket cover sections are both in the down position and the latches which are controlled able stop 24 and this stop may be adjusted to vary theamount of distortion which occurs in the casket when the cover is closed.

In closing the tubular section 18 will be compressed and to some degree flattened. The transverse member will be forced against the pad portions 22 and in particular, the foot sections of the transverse sealing member will be forced tightly against the upper surface of the body in which some distortion due to flattening will occur.

The transverse sealing member will itself be flattened and distorted to some degree between the flange 6 of the head described. It is within the contemplation of the invention, therefore, to provide a variable stop to accomplish variable sealing by means of variable compression. Generally, of course, there is an optimum degree of compression. The stops on each side of the casket will be set to accomplish that degree of sealing. In general it is contemplated that the horizontal gasket will be cemented or otherwise secured to the flange 2 and that the transverse gasket will be cemented or otherwise secured to the foot section 4.

The construction shown provides a very satisfactory sealing device which can be formed by molding and it is formed of rubber or rub-berlike material having elasticity and flexibility and arranged for distortion to accomplish suitable sealing and a suitable degree of compression in the gasket material itself. Compression and sealing may occur at one point or several points over the surface of the gasket depending upon the degree of movement of the cover sections toward the casket section.

I claim:

1. In a casket including a body section and two hinged cover sections, sealing means including a horizontal gasket adapted to be positioned about, the upper edge of said body section, said gasket including a relatively thin fiat portion and a hollow raised portion at its outer edge, a plurality of oppositely disposed pad members integral with said gasket and of substantially the same height as said raised hollow portion, each of said pad members being perforated to receive a stop member, a hollow transverse gasket member located between the adjacent ends of the cover sections to seal them together when the cover sections are closed, the end portions of said transverse gasket adapted to overlie said pad members so as to insure a seal between the cover sections and the body section.

2. The sealing means of claim 1 further characterized in that saidend portions include thin foot means adapted to overlie said pad members such that an air-tight seal is insured between the cover sections and the body section.

3. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that'said stop members are adjustable.

4. In a casket having a body section and two hinged cover sections, sealing means including a horizontal endless gasket adapted to be positioned about the upper edge of said body section, said gasket including a relatively thin flat portion and 21 hollow raised portion at its outer edge, a pair of oppositely placed pad members integral with said gasket and of substantially the same height as said hollow raised portion, said pad members being perforated to receive a stop member, a hollow transverse gasket member extending between said pad members and positioned between adjacent ends of said cover sections to seal them together when said cover sections are closed, the end portions of said transverse gasket adapted to overlie said pad members.

5. The sealing means of claim 4 :further characterized in thatsaid pad members have an interior and lower surface comprised of webbing so as to provide a suitably resilient seatfor said end portions.

6. In a casket having .a body section and two hinged cover sections, sealing means including an endless horizontal gasket adapted to be positioned about the upper edge of said body section, said gasket including a relatively thin flat portion having a flange at its inner edge and a hollow raised portion at its outer edge, said 1101- low raised portion having .a plurality of longitudinally extending lands on its upper surface, a pair of oppositely placed pad members integral with said relatively thin flat portion and having their upper surfaces generally level and contiguous with said longitudinally extending lands, said pad members being perforated to receive a stop member and defining a cellular interior, a hollow transverse gasket member extending between said pad members and located between adjacent ends of said cover sections to seal them together when said cover sections are closed, the end portions of said gasket member including extremely thin foot means adapted to overlie said pad members and provide a substantially uninterrupted seal between the cover sections and the body section when the casket is closed.

7. The sealing means of claim 6 further characterized in that said transverse gasket member has a longitudinally extending land on its upper surface.

8. In a casket having a body section and two hinged cover sections, sealing means including a horizontal endless gasket adapted to be positioned about the upper edge of the body section, said gasket including a relatively thin flat portion having a flange at its inner edge extending above and below said flat portion and a hollow raised portion at its outer edge, a pair of oppositely placed pad members integral with said relatively thin flat portion and said hollow raised portion and having upper surfaces generally level and continguous with said hollow raised portion, longitudinally extending groove means positioned within said hollow raised portion so as to facilitate flexing of said raised portion under compression, a hollow transverse gasket member extending between said pad members and located between adjacent ends of said cover sections to seal them together when said cover sections 6 v are closed, the end portions of said transverse gasket shaped to overlie said pad members.

9. The sealing means of claim 8 further characterized in that said hollow transverse gasket member has longitudinally extending groove means therein adapted to facilitate flexing of said gasket member upon compression between said cover sections.

10. The sealing means of claim 9 further characterized in that said end portions include extremely thin feet, and said feet contact the upper surface of said pad members to provide an uninterrupted sealing surface between said cover sections and said endless gasket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 871,178 Ostrander Nov. 19, 1907 2,519,633 Brown et a1. Aug. 22, 1950 2,533,827 McEwan Dec. 12, 1950 2,533,828 McEwan Dec. 12, 1950 2,661,229 Slaughter Dec. 1, 1953 2,705,655 Brown et a1. Apr. 5, 1955 2,717,514 Meek Sept. 13, 1955 2,739,001 Qhiles Mar. 20, 1956 

